Is Fatty Liver Disease a Risk Factor for Cardiovascular Disease?

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While cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality for people with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), liver fat itself may not raise the risk for heart disease after accounting for other risk factors, according to study findings published in the journal Hepatology.

“Taking this report alone, it suggests that there is no increased risk of CVD in persons with NAFLD above that conferred by other metabolic comorbidities,” Ian Rowe, PhD, of the University of Leeds, and Alina Allen, MD, of the Mayo Clinic, wrote in an accompanying editorial.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and its more severe form, NASH, are responsible for a growing proportion of advanced liver disease worldwide. Often associated with obesity and diabetes, fatty liver disease is increasingly recognized as a component of metabolic syndrome, a cluster of risk factors associated with CVD. Over time, NAFLD can lead to liver fibrosis, cirrhosis and even liver cancer. With no approved medical therapies, disease management is dependent on lifestyle changes such as weight loss and exercise.

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https://www.hepmag.com/article/fatty-liver-disease-risk-factor-cardiovascular-disease